Charlotte, N.C. – The Charlotte 49ers scored 12 unanswered runs to erase a 4-0 deficit en route to a 12-4 victory and three-game series sweep of Furman in non-conference softball play on Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, N.C.
Bailey Vannoy, who went 2-for-4 with a double, homer and three RBI on the day, belted a game-tying, three-run blast in the bottom of the fourth innings to even the game at 4-4. The 49ers took the lead the following inning on an RBI double from Ashleigh Washington and a sacrifice fly from Nicole Bowman to up the Charlotte advantage to 6-4.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Charlotte (11-5) loaded the bases with one out and Washington worked a base on balls to force in another run. Imani Rochelle delivered a bases clearing double to up the lead to 11-4 before an error allowed the 12
th run to cross and trigger the eight-run mercy rule.
Lindsey Walljasper held Furman to two hits in four and two-thirds scoreless innings of work to earn the victory and improve to 7-2 in the circle. Freshman
Sierra Tufts suffered the loss after allowing six runs on seven hits over three and two-thirds innings.
The Paladins (2-8) had grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an infield single by
Riley Ludlam. The following frame, Furman loaded the bases before scoring runs on a Charlotte error, hit batter and a Ludlam sacrifice fly.
Rochelle and Vannoy each drove in three runs to pace the 49ers offense. Ludlam went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI for the Paladins.
Furman is back in action at noon on Wednesday when it faces North Carolina A&T in a midweek doubleheader in Greensboro, N.C.
